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The study investigates the effect of sulfated zirconia and zirconium phosphate nanocomposite membranes on fuel cell efficiency, showing improved water uptake, mechanical strength, and proton conductivity compared to commercial Nafion membranes.

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Abstract

To investigate the effect of acidic nanoparticles on proton conductivity, permeability and fuel cell performance, a commercial Nafion® 117 membrane was impregnated with zirconium phosphates (ZrP) and sulfated zirconium (S-ZrO2) nanoparticles. The tensile test, water uptake, methanol crossover, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to assess the ca-pacity of nanocomposite membrane to function in a fuel cell. The modified Nafion® membrane obtained the higher water uptake and a lower water content angle than the commercial Nafion® 117 membrane, indicating that it has a greater impact on conductivity. Under strain rates of 40, 30 and 20 mm/min, the nanocomposite membranes demonstrate more stable thermal deterioration and higher mechanical strength, which offers tremendous promise for fuel cell applications. When compared to 0.113 S/cm and 0.013 S/cm, respectively, of commercial Nafion® 117 and Nafion® ZrP membranes, the modified Nafion® membrane with ammonia sulphate acid had the highest proton conductivity of 7.891 S/cm. When tested using a direct single cell methanol fuel cell, it had the highest power density of 183 m. cm-2 which is better than commercial Nafion® 117 and Nafion® ZrP membranes.

Key findings

  • The modified Nafion membrane with sulfated zirconia and zirconium phosphate nanoparticles has higher water uptake and lower water content angle than commercial Nafion 117 membrane.
  • The nanocomposite membranes demonstrate more stable thermal deterioration and higher mechanical strength under strain rates of 40, 30, and 20 mm/min.
  • The modified Nafion membrane with ammonia sulphate acid has the highest proton conductivity of 7.8 S/cm, compared to 0.113 S/cm and 0.013 S/cm for commercial Nafion 117 and Nafion ZrP membranes, respectively.

Keywords

NafionMembraneFourier transform infrared spectroscopyDirect methanol fuel cellProton exchange membrane fuel cellNanocomposite

Identifiers

DOI
10.20944/preprints202109.0018.v1
Journal
Preprints.org
Year
2021